Required Courses

BBS230: Analysis of the Biological LiteratureCritical analysis of original research articles in intensive small group discussions. Analyze range of papers in biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, and cell and developmental biology in terms of context, hypotheses, methods, results and future experiments.

BBS330: Critical Thinking and Research Proposal WritingBBS 330 provides a thorough coverage of the essential elements of research proposal writing, a skill that is required throughout one's scientific career but for which formal training is frequently lacking. After an introductory lecture that provides a general overview of the conceptualization and writing of a research proposal, students will be guided through a series of exercises designed to develop these critical skills.

One course in statistics/quantitative biology (see options below)

Two advanced electives in cell biology (see options below)

Students are also encouraged to take selected Nanocourses, which are offered throughout the year. These courses feature typically 3 lecture hours from leaders in the topic under consideration, followed by a second 2 hour period assessment period, involving a student driven project related to the topic under study. The Harvard faculty have developed dozens of Nanocourses, which are given periodically. For more information, see: https://nanosandothercourses.hms.harvard.edu/

Cell Biology XXX: Experimental Approaches to Cell BiologyCourse Faculty: David Van Vactor, Wade Harper, and Cell Biology program faculty. This introductory level course will provide a rapid survey of major topics and themes in cell biology in parallel with hands-on exposure to a variety of experimental approaches, technologies and model systems, including microscopy, proteomics, and biochemical machines. Registration is limited to eight students; preference given for CB program students.

DRB 330: Experimental Approaches to Developmental BiologyCourse Faculty: David Van Vactor, Amy Wagers, and members of the Division This introductory level course will provide a rapid survey of major topics and themes in
developmental biology in parallel with hands-on exposure to a variety of experimental
approaches, technologies and model systems (Drosophilia, C. elegans, Xenopus, chick & mouse).

Quarter Courses

(This list is frequently updated. Check the Nanos and Quarters website for current offerings).

Quantitative Optical Microscopy for Cell BiologyCourse Faculty: Tomas Kirchhausen This five-day total immersion course aims to bring together cell biologists and light microscopy specialists to explore requirements and opportunities offered by advance fluorescence light microscopy techniques applied to the quantitative observation in real-time of single molecules and molecular assemblies in living cells and in isolation. The course will combine lectures with daily hands-on laboratory practices followed by discussion. This advanced imaging course is directed towards students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty with previous working experience using fluorescent light microscopy.

Belief Options for a Practicing ScientistCourse Faculty: Andrius Kazlauskas While scientific approaches effectively explain the natural world, they fail to resolve moral, ethical and social questions. These latter issues are part of the scientist’s world and at times even one’s research project. This quarter course will compare and contrast common belief options to grapple with theological questions that face scientists. We will read excerpts from a number of authors (such as F. Collins, C.S. Lewis, S. Freud, R. Dawkins, S. Harris) that address how one comes to faith and what that faith can look like. We will also discuss issues that are typically at the interface between religion and faith such as evolution and the use of stem cells in research. There will be a total of 6 meetings that will consist of student-led discussion based on the types of readings described above. While there will not be any exams, successful completion of the course will include writing a final paper/thesis making a case for which of the belief options is best suited for a scientist.

Histology for Graduate StudentsCourse Faculty: Gerald Greenhouse and Adrian Salic A 6-session quarter course for graduate students on histology--the study of structure, and therefore function, in cells and tissues. The class will include a session on each of the major tissue types in mammals--connective, muscle, nerve and epithelial. Each session will include an introductory lecture followed by shared observation of slides using the medical school’s 12-headed light microscope. In the last session, students will do tissue staining with recently developed compounds in the lab of Adrian Salic. This class is recommended for any graduate student whose thesis work will benefit from a strong working knowledge of cell structure and tissue architecture. Students examining cell changes in carcinogenesis, development or regeneration and those characterizing mammalian phenotypes are especially encouraged to participate. Class size is limited to 11.

Experimental Design for BiologistsCourse Faculty: David Glass and Randall King This course will focus on both the theory and practice of experimental design, asking when, how, and whether hypotheses or questions should be used to frame experiments, and how these frameworks may perturb experimental design and interpretation. A thorough discussion of the various types of experimental controls will be provided. This will go beyond a standard exposition of negative and positive controls, and will include elements like system design, system controls, controls for underlying assumptions, experimentalist controls. The students will be asked to read some philosophy, a few chapters from Dr. Glass' book on Experimental Design, and then to apply what was learned to their own projects, by giving presentations on their own experimental designs, and flow-charts of their projects. This is not a statistics course - rather it covers those elements of design that usually precede and follow statistical analysis.

Stem Cells: Properties and ApplicationsCourse Faculty: George Q. Daley and Amy Wagers This quarter course will discuss scientific problems in both ES and adult stem cell research, providing an historical context for stem cell research as well as a discussion of the basic biological properties and applications of these cells and the questions and controversies that currently drive the field. We will conclude with a discussion of the societal and ethical implications of stem cell research and the impact of federal guidelines on research. Students will be responsible for reading and critically discussing 3-5 relevant papers each week. Papers for discussion will be taken from both classic and current literature. Class participation is required and enrollment is limited to 16 students.

Advanced Topics in Cell Biology: CB309qcCourse Faculty: David Van Vactor and Cell Biology Faculty (eight meetings per semester). This quarter course covers cutting edge research across a broad range of topics from angstrom resolution to organismal physiology, from basic mechanisms underlying fundamental cellular processes to the molecular etiology of human disease. The course is designed to provide students with intimate intellectual access to our faculty in a setting where all questions are welcome, where new experimental ideas can be explored, and where the horizon-line of each field can be considered. One primary research article and one review article will be identified by each lecturer; follow up reading will also be recommended for students that wish to deepen their knowledge in a given topic. Registration limited to eight students; preference offered to CB program students.

Nanocourses

Nanocourses are a relatively new course format designed to teach specific subjects at an advanced level and in a condensed format. These courses are aimed at bringing students, post-docs and faculty up to date on a particular field, to provide insight into the current problems in that field, and to define a solid basis for further study in that field, all within a short time period. Each course meets for a minimum of 6 hours over 2 days. The first session is lecture-based and taught by 1 to 3 faculty who present an advanced level of knowledge on current research areas, specific experimental approaches and new technologies. The second-session is discussion-based or hands-on and gives students an opportunity to explore the topic in depth in a small-group setting.

Microscopy Education

The Nikon Imaging Center (NIC) is a core facility affiliated with the Cell Biology, Systems Biology, and Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Departments. Trainees in the cell biology program are invited to participate in a number of workshop courses offered by the NIC each year to gain experience in basic and advanced light microscopy techniques.

BCMP 201: Proteins: Structure, Function, and CatalysisProtein biochemistry with emphasis on the interrelated roles of protein structure, catalytic activity, and macromolecular interactions in biological processes. Course provides the core background and the perspective required to consider and dissect biological problems at a mechanistic, molecular level.Genetics 201: Principles of Genetics
An in-depth survey of genetics, beginning with basic principles and extending to modern approaches and special topics. We will draw on examples from various systems, including yeast, Drosophila, C. elegans, mouse, human and bacteria.

Micro 201: Molecular Biology of the Bacterial CellThis course is devoted to bacterial structure, physiology, genetics, and regulatory mechanisms. The class consists of lectures and group discussions emphasizing methods, results, and interpretations of classic and contemporary literature.